Signaling apparatus.



J.' F. DUGGAN.

SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5. 1914,

l l QQY., lutcnd Muy 25, 1915.

FFQE,

JAMES F. DUGGAN, 0F ATLANTIC, MASSACHUSETTS.

SIGNALING APPARATUS.

A Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1915.

Application filed December 5, 1914. Serial No. 875,707.

To all 107mm 1' t may Concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. DUGGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlantic, iu the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in signaling apparatus adapted more particula rl v for use on street cars andthe like.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which shall indicate to the operators of cars in advance or following the car bearing said signal, the condition of the power controlling mechanism of said car, that is to say, whether the power is turned on or olf. lith such a device the operator of a following car may be informed as to whether said car is about to slow down or stop, or whether said car is advancing under full power or any portion thereof, in which case suitable or sufficient warning will be given to the operator of the car following to stop his car and thus avoid a collision.

The obj eet of the invention is still further to provide suitable connecting means for said indicator and the controller of the vehicle in order that the turning on or shutting off of the power to the operating instrumentalities of, the car will be signaled by said indicator from the front and rear .ends of the vehicle.

This invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is an end elevation with parts broken away and other parts shown in section of a car with a device embodying my invention shown in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a plan view with partsl broken away and other parts shown in section of the car illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one end of one of the shafts arranged beneath a car illustrating the clutch mechanism thereon.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

The preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the drawings, consists of a vehicle 5 having a controller 6 arranged at each end thereof, said controllers being operated by the usual detachable operating lever 7 the construction of said controllers being so well known that it is believed no further description will be necessary.

It is the purpose of the invention to provide, upon some conspicuous part of the vehicle, indicators or signaling devices with at least one of lsaid indicators visible from any point of view relatively to said vehicle and thereby warn those approaching the` path of travel as to whether the vehicle is traveling with the power turned on, or whether said power is shut ofi'l preparatory to the stopping of said vehicle.

The preferred method of carrying out this feature of the invention is to provide an indicator 8 at each end, or preferably at the four corners of the vehicle and the preferred form of indicator consists of an arm 9 pivoted at 10 to a bracket 11 fast to the top of said vehicle. A light 12 is preferably attached to the arm of said indicator in such a manner as to illuminate the outer face of said indicator at night. To operate said pivot arm from its position in full lines Fig. 1 to that shown in dotted lines in said figure, means have been provided by which motion may be imparted thereto from the power controlling lever 7. This means consists preferably of a shaft 13 arranged substantially parallel with the aXis of the controller shaft 14 and operatively connected with said shaft by a pair of gears 15 and 16 secured respectively upon the shafts 13 and 14. The shaft 13 extends downwardly through the floor of the vehicle and has connected thereto, at its lower end, two flexible connecting members 17 and 18 wound about said shafts 13 in the same direction, but extending therefrom in opposite directions to levers 19 mounted upon shafts 20. The shafts 20 preferably extend lengthwise of the body of the vehicle and are journaled to rotate in bearings 21. 21 suspended from beneath the floor 22 of the car.

Secured to the shafts 20 adjacent to each ofthe levers 19 are levers 23, the outer free ends of which are connected by links Q4 to the pivot arms of the indicators 8, said links extending through casings 25 arranged adjacent to points on the vehicle where it is desired to locate the indicator arms, said arms being pivotally mounted upon the upper ends of said casings, whereby said links will be protected from injury. Thus it will be seen that these connections, with the sha ft 13, will be loperated by means of the controller arm 7 and the flexible connecting members 17 and 18 will be wound about the lower end of said shaft or preferably the drum-26 formed thereon, to rock the shafts through the levers. 19. The levers 23 .on said shaft will also be rocked to swing the indicator arm 9 attached thereto from the position shown in full lines into the position shown in dotted lines, or to some intermedi- Yate position between the two shown, varying 27 i are connected to the shafts 2O for the purpose of returning them to their normal posithe car are being operated. To accomplish.l

tions when the power is shut ofi' by the movement of the lever 7, said springs being attached at their opposite ends to a stationary portion of the vehicle and to levers 28 secured to the shafts 20. It will be seen by 'referring to Fig. 2 thatthe shafts 20 are connected at their opposite ends to the controllers which are usually provided at the opposite ends of a street car, thus all of the signals connected with said shafts will be simultaneously operated from either end of v said vehicle.

It is desirable that the gears 15 and 16 and shaft 13 romain stationary or be out of operation at the rear of the car when the equivalent members atithe forward end of this result the levers 19 are each'pivotally mounted upon the'shafts 20 and provided l with a projection 29 normally held in contact with corresponding projections 30 on the levers 23 bythe springs 27, but when the -shafts 20 are rocked by means .of the levers 19 at one end of said shafts, the levers 19 at the opposite ends of the shafts will not be affected, for the reason that the projection 30 willy bemoved away from the projection 29 upon the inoperative lever 19 thus the energy required to operate the indicators will be somewhat lessened.

The apparatus hereinbefore specifically described has been shown in connection with lan electrically operated street car construct- 50 ed to travel along a restricted line of way. The use ofthe apparatus',` is not however limited to this .particular type of vehicle, but may be successfully operated on motor vehicles and the several operatively ,con-

necting instrumentalities varied to suit the conditions of the vehicle upon whichv the apparatus is to be used.

i lHaving thus described my invention what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to se-V cure is:

1. VThe combination with a vehicle of an indicator pivotally mounted at opposite ends v.of said vehicle, a rotary power controlling 'trollen lever, a shaft adjacent said power controlling lever, means operatively connecting said lever with said shaft, a second shaft, a

lever mounted on said second shaft, a flexible member secured to said first named shaft and the end of said lever respectively Aand adapted to be wound about Vsaid first named kshaft to operate said lever in one direction, a spring adapted to move said lever in the opposite direction, and means operatively connectingA saidY vsecond shaft with'sai'd indicator to cause said indicator to be lmoved simultaneously with said con- 2. A lsignaling apparatus having, in combination, a plurality of indicators pivotally mounted upon' the exterior -of a vehicle, a power controlling lever at each end of said vehicle, a vertical shaft adjacent to each of said .powerfcontrolling levers constructed.

and arranged to be rotated by said power i` controlling lever, a horizontal shaft extending longitudinally of said vehicle,y levers mounted adjacent to opposite. ends of said horizontal shaft, flexible members secured to'each of said levers and adapted to be wound around the vertical shaft adjacent thereto during the operation of said power controlling lever to rock said horizontal shaft in one direction, a spring adapted to rock said horizontal shaft in the oppositel vdirection and means operatively connecting said'horizontal shaft with said indicators to move said' indicators simultaneously with said l power 'controlling lever.

3. The combination with indicatorV pivotally mounted adjacent each corner of said vehicle, two horizontal shafts extending' longitudinally of said vehicle,

two levers mounted u-p'on each offsaid horizontal shafts, a plurality of casings extending through said vehicle, means extending through said casings to operatively connect said shafts with said indicators, a controller at each end of said vehicle, a vertical shaft operatively conmected with `each of said controllers, flexible members extending from each ofsaid vertical shafts to one of said levers on each of said horizontal shafts and constructed and arranged to transmit a rocking movement from eitherl of, said vertical shafts to each of lsaid horizontalsha'fts a vehicle of an l simultaneously and springs'adapted to ref turn said horizontal shafts to their-.normal positions.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set` my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

l JAMES ir. DUGGAN. Witnesses:

Smarritiv E. TAFT, MARGARET E. HORN. 

